From a 2017 vantage point, it’s easy to forget just how radical this book was, says Samuel Gregg in this week’s Acton Commentary. In penning theSpirit of DemocraticCapitalism, Novak was the first theologian to really make an in-depth moral, cultural, and political caseforthe market economy in a systematic way. Needless to say, Novak’s book generated fierce reactions from the religious left. The opprobrium was probably heightened by the fact that theSpiritconfirmed what had e evident from the mid-’70s onwards: that...

Embed from Getty Images Many Christians assume that the Bible has nothing at all to say about economics, says theologian Albert Mohler, but a biblical worldview actually has a great deal to teach us on economic matters. Mohler outlines twelve theses for what a Christian understanding of economics must do. Here are three of them: 1. It must have God’s glory as its greatestaim. For Christians, all economic theory begins with an aim to glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31). We...

Ask any economist what the greatest force undermining prosperity is, and hewill answer with one word: uncertainty. But since economics is just human action, uncertainty hurts every aspect of peoples’ lives, upending their plans and delaying – or destroying – their dreams. In Europe, a growing number of young people are unable to engage in the rites of passage that marked the entrance of previous generations into adulthood – a subject Marco Respinti explores on the Religion & Liberty Transatlantic...

When Tzvetan Todorov died on Feb. 7, the Bulgarian/French philosopher and literary critic was lamented only in certain intellectual ghettoes. To the men and women eulogizing Todorov in these circles, he was feted properly if not stingily, which is most unfortunate. Finite word counts are a harsh mistress when a fellow writer endeavors to create a fully realized portrait of his or her subject. Todorov leaves behind a body of historical and moral philosophy that connects the dots between the...

For far too long, Westerners have simply accepted the status quo of foreign aid, building ever-larger systems and programs for global charity even as they’re proven to squander resources and disempower the munities they intend to assist. As films like Poverty, Inc.and thePovertyCureaptly demonstrate, when es to charity, we need a profound shift in our heads, hands, and hearts — “from aid to enterprise, from poverty alleviation to wealth creation, from paternalism to partnerships, from handouts to investments.” Such a...

Note: This is post #22 in a weekly video series on basic microeconomics. Prices are signals that indicate to suppliers how much is being demanded. So what happens when the government puts a cap on the price that can be charged for a product or service? Two effects are shortages and lower quality. In this video by Marginal Revolution University, economist Alex Tabarrok explains why this happens. (If you find the pace of the videos too slow, I’d mend watching...

Note: This is the sixth in a weekly series of explanatory posts on the officials and agencies included in the President’s Cabinet. See the series introductionhere. Department of Education / U.S. Department of Education (Public Domain) Cabinet position:Secretary of Veterans Affairs Department:Department of Veterans Affairs Current Secretary:David J. Shulkin Succession:The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is sixteenth in the presidential line of succession. Department Mission:“The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is responsible for providing vital services to America’s veterans. VA provides...

American Enterprise Institute President Arthur C. Brooks joined us here at the Acton Institute on Monday evening as part of the Acton Lecture Series, and as usual he delivered a great and optimistic message, even in the midst of this time of deep divisions in the United States. It’s impossible to avoid the fact that America is more deeply divided politically today than it has been in decades, and the question is whether or not the current state of affairs...

The unofficial theme for Religion & Liberty’s first issue in 2017 is despotism. In this issue, you’ll find stories from the Soviet Union, a close look into the North Korea regime and a reexamination of Hitler’s rise to power. The cover story is an interview with human rights expert Suzanne Scholte, who discusses her passion for fighting the sadistic rule of Kim Jong Un and working with North Korean defectors. After 20 years fighting for those who don’t enjoy freedom...

On Wednesday, February 15, the European Parliament approved theComprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), a free trade agreement abolishing most trade restrictions between the European Union and Canada. Negotiators hammered out the 1,600-page agreement over the course of seven years before Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and European Council President Donald Tusk signed CETA last October 30. Then, the pact swept through the Strasbourg-based European Parliament by a vote of408-254 with 33 abstentions last week. What does it do? CETA...